Gardening for Wildlife – The National Wildlife Federation Bloghttp://blog.nwf.org
The National Wildlife Federation's blogThu, 08 Dec 2016 18:09:20 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1Building Outdoor Classroomshttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/10/building-outdoor-classrooms/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/10/building-outdoor-classrooms/#respondMon, 24 Oct 2016 12:00:10 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=123596Since 1936, the National Wildlife Federation has worked to conserve the nation’s wildlife and wild places. As part of our 80th anniversary celebration, we are recognizing important moments in our history that continue to make an impact today.

Wildlife habitat exists all around us, and school grounds can provide not only a place for wildlife to thrive, but a space for the conservationists of tomorrow to understand the world around them. Since 1996, the National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitats® program has provided schools and school districts with the resources to do just that: create and restore wildlife habitat and outdoor learning space on their grounds to help students and educators discover how to attract and support local wildlife.

Now with 5,000 participating schools, our Schoolyard Habitat program is the single largest school garden program in America. Children in day care centers and preschools, nature centers, and thousands of students in grades K-12, along with parents, university students, teachers, administrators, community members, and volunteers have created unique habitat gardens and living learning laboratories nationwide.

These wildlife habitats become places where students not only learn about wildlife species and ecosystems, but also outdoor classrooms where they hone their academic skills and nurture their innate curiosity and creativity.

Creating a certified Schoolyard Habitat is done in five steps:

Start a habitat team of school staff, students, parents, etc. to work together

Choose a site to build and cultivate a suitable, sustainable habitat for wildlife

Create a work plan. Have your team set goals, tasks, and track progress

To increase the number of schools certifying their green spaces for wildlife, the National Wildlife Federation and LEGO Community Fund U.S. recently launched the Monarch Mission, including a full set of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned lessons for grades K- 12, empowering students to create and improve Schoolyard Habitats for monarchs.

Monarch caterpillar in a Schoolyard Habitat in Connecticut. Photo by Linda Swenson

This Monarch Mission, and the Monarch Recovery Gardens that result, are part of a long-term learning experience that:

Creates more habitat for monarchs to survive and reproduce, leading to an increase in their population

Provides a variety of field experiences for students, allowing them to apply new learning and practice critical science, engineering, and 21st century skills

Builds awareness about a national environmental issue, while also providing local solutions that can help bring the community together to make a positive impact for monarchs and other pollinators

So far the participating schools in Connecticut have seen success with monarch caterpillars coming to feed on native host plants such as milkweed, and the students and school staff are excited to see more monarchs in the area. The Monarch Mission will soon be available nationwide.

NWF is also a member of the Monarch Joint Venture. Their goal is to conserve and protect monarch populations and their migratory phenomena in the U.S. by implementing science-based habitat conservation and restoration measures in collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

Teachers workshop in Connecticut. Photo by Jennifer Hammonds/ NWF

The Monarch Mission is just one example of how Schoolyard Habitats are making a positive difference for wildlife and communities. To earn additional recognition and awards for environmental efforts, schools can explore the Schoolyard Habitats pathway of the Eco-Schools USA program and make a difference for wildlife and the school community.

Learn More
]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/10/building-outdoor-classrooms/feed/0The First Community Wildlife Habitathttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/05/this-week-in-nwf-history-the-first-community-wildlife-habitat/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/05/this-week-in-nwf-history-the-first-community-wildlife-habitat/#respondMon, 16 May 2016 12:00:48 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=119534Since 1936, the National Wildlife Federation has worked to conserve the nation’s wildlife and wild places. As part of our 80th anniversary celebration, we are recognizing important moments in our history that continue to make an impact today.

How did Alpine, California become the nation’s first certified Community Wildlife Habitat? It all started in the late 1990s with Maureen Austin, an avid gardener and the founder of C.H.I.R.P. (Center to Help Instill Respect for Garden Wildlife, Inc.). She encouraged the Alpine community to create wildlife habitats in their home gardens and places of business. One by one, residents began sending in their applications to have their gardens certified by the National Wildlife Federation, and in no time at all, Alpine had more Certified Wildlife Habitat® gardens than any other city in the country.

Award given to Alpine CWH in 2013

On May 1, 1998, the National Wildlife Federation designated Alpine as “America’s First Community Wildlife Habitat.” Thanks to Ms. Austin’s efforts, there are nearly 200 Certified Wildlife Habitats® throughout Alpine, and this number continues to grow as each property owner does their small part to benefit the community and wildlife. All one needs to do to create a Certified Wildlife Habitat® is to supply water, food, cover and a place for wildlife to raise their young.

Tom and Judy Myers took over for Ms. Austin. Photo by Alpine CWH program

Ms. Austin’s family moved away from Alpine last year, so the Alpine Historical and Conservation Society (AHCS) now coordinates the Community Wildlife Habitat program. One of their goals is to promote habitat development and encourage even more Alpine residents to certify their gardens.

The AHCS received its wildlife habitat certification in March 1998, and this year members have created a wildlife habitat garden exhibit at their museum, the John Dewitt Historic Museum and Library. Tom and Judy Myers created the habitat garden plan, focused on drought-tolerant native species, and volunteers Helen Porter, Babs Rosenberg, Baltazar Marquez and Carlette Anderson helped with the planting.

The wildlife garden in front of the John Dewitt Historic Museum and Library. Photo by Alpine CWH program

River rocks sit in the middle of the garden, and planted around the rocks are coral bells, monkey flower, ceanothus, baja fairy duster, John Dourley manzanitas, Margarita BOP penstemon, purple sage and native sunflowers. The existing aloes were retained, and they installed a toad adobe, birdhouse, solitary bee hotel, and fountain.

One of the volunteers, Babs, helping plant. Photo by Alpine CWH program

Alpine’s Back Country Land Trust (BCLT) is working to restore and enhance the two known populations of San Diego thornmint (Acanthomintha ilicifolia) found at Wright’s Field Preserve, located across the street from the museum. This delicate member of the mint family is the “most endangered” plant in San Diego County.

Many native thornmint populations in San Diego County have already been lost to urban development, competition from non-native species, and other disturbances. At one point there were approximately 450 thornmint plants growing in Wright’s Field, but by 2012, that number was down to less than 50 plants. In 2013, BCLT received funding from the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) through their Environmental Mitigation Program grants to begin restoration and enhancement of the thornmint populations back to mid-1990s levels.

The area’s popular Sage & Songbirds festival, previously organized by C.H.I.R.P., has been reinvented in a new format by the Alpine Garden Club and renamed “Waterwise and Butterflies.” This annual event is held the first Saturday in May and features sales of plants selected to promote drought-tolerant habitat gardening. A wide array of vendors offer items to enhance wildlife habitat gardens.

No matter how large or small your property is, you can create a wildlife habitat in your garden. Even an apartment patio can provide enough space for a small bird bath, a few native plants, a bird house and a bird feeder. Birds and other wildlife will be able to find the resources provided for them.

Carlette Anderson, an Alpine Historical and Conservation Society board member and Director of the Community Wildlife Habitat Program in Alpine, CA, contributed to this post.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/05/this-week-in-nwf-history-the-first-community-wildlife-habitat/feed/0Celebrating Schools for National Wildlife Week: Monarch Butterflies in Texashttp://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/celebrating-schools-for-national-wildlife-week-monarch-butterflies-in-texas/
http://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/celebrating-schools-for-national-wildlife-week-monarch-butterflies-in-texas/#respondThu, 17 Mar 2016 12:56:32 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=117983Our final post in our series celebrating National Wildlife Week takes us to Texas, where students and teachers have been busy addressing Monarch Recovery. Monarch gardens are sprouting up on school grounds throughout the Austin and Houston Independent School Districts.

Monarch butterfly. Photo by Jim and Lynne Weber

Students of all ages are eagerly working side by side with community volunteers to make an impact in the recovery effort. Teachers are not only creating monarch habitats, they are also providing a natural setting for kids to become citizen scientists while learning about their local environment. Read on for highlights of our school community members in action.

A Night in the Garden

Imagine what a team of 70 people can do in a single night! At the STEM focused Innovation Academy at Martin Middle School, students, teachers, parents and community volunteers came together and built seven gardens from the ground up. The school also hosted a successful STEAM night, to further raise awareness about monarchs in their community.

Martin Academy. Photo by Erica Brokaw

1st Grade Monarch Heroes Take Action

They may be small, but enthusiastic first graders at Piney Point Elementary have made super-sized efforts when it comes to helping the iconic monarch butterfly. They have worked hard to become a NWF Certified Schoolyard Habitat. Students not only helped design the garden, they also hosted a Garden Party for visitors to celebrate their efforts.

Along the way, students learned about the monarch butterfly’s life cycle, habitat needs and migration patterns. They also made symbolic paper butterflies and helped fundraise to purchase items for their garden.

Photo by Piney Point Elementary

What Can You Do to Help?

Eco-Schools USA has recently put together a suite of resources for educators who would like to address monarch recovery. From tips on creating a monarch habitat to curriculum resources, native plant guides and citizen science opportunities, we are working to provide all of our schools with the tools needed so that students around the country can work to make a difference for all pollinators.

Join Now
]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2016/03/celebrating-schools-for-national-wildlife-week-monarch-butterflies-in-texas/feed/0Butterfly Heroes’ Highlights and Successeshttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/12/butterfly-heroes-highlights-and-successes/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/12/butterfly-heroes-highlights-and-successes/#respondFri, 18 Dec 2015 12:00:14 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=110889The National Wildlife Federation’s Butterfly Heroes program sought to bring awareness to the declining population of monarchs and other pollinators and connect gardeners, kids, and families alike to protect these important species. Participants who pledged (by uploading a photo of the ASL symbol for butterfly) received garden starter kits — with region-specific native milkweed (a vital plant for monarchs), nectar plants, and instructions to create their own monarch gardens — and a chance to win a free family trip to Disney.

More than 42,000 Butterfly Heroes answered the call, and additional outreach in the 150 towns, cities and counties that participate in Community Wildlife Habitats resulted in 30 public events held to support monarch butterfly conservation. Activities included tabling at town festivals, Earth Day booths, photo sessions for pledging children and more. More than 10,000 others were engaged in monarch and wildlife education efforts and received Butterfly Heroes conservation information across events that took place in Community Wildlife Habitats nationwide during the spring of 2015.

Butterfly Heroes throughout the country have shared their inspirational stories and amazing results. Here are a few photos and stories that highlight how Butterfly Heroes have provided habitat for these amazing creatures throughout their life cycle and journey.

Inspirational Stories

Photo by Jenny Diehl

Logan, a 7-year-old boy with autism, is an avid wildlife supporter with a passion for helping wildlife. He took the Butterfly Hero pledge and helped convert his family’s vegetable garden into a butterfly garden, where they not only planted the milkweed seeds that came in the Butterfly Heroes starter kit, but included other flowering nectar plants, a butterfly house and a water feature as well. His family is thankful for his passion and love of nature.

Photo by Samantha P.

The sweepstakes-winning family is a military family from Fort Hood, Texas that doesn’t get to spend a lot of family time together. Creating their butterfly garden from the Butterfly Heroes starter kit allowed them to spend some time outside learning and connecting with nature and one another. The family was very grateful to win the Butterfly Heroes sweepstakes trip to Disney World, where they got to spend an amazing family vacation together, and then planned a backyard camping “trip” for the Great American Campout.

Milkweed Planting and Preparation

Classroom visit PS 179 Brooklyn. Photo by Teri Brennan

Public elementary school children throughout New York City have been inspired by Butterfly Heroes. Students at PS179 are seen above planting the seeds from their kits, and they have continued collecting and cleaning seeds of pollinator-friendly plants for planting and study in their classrooms.

Photo by Shawn Graham

Milkweed sometimes requires stratification or a period of cold weather before it will grow. Students at the Canceler Aquatic Society in Nebraska (seen above) prepared their milkweed plants and provided an artificial stratification period before transferring them to the outside garden. If you did not provide an artificial stratification period and your milkweed did not come up this year, don’t give up hope! The moist conditions during the upcoming winter and spring will help stimulate germination and your milkweed will most likely come up next season.

Photo by Bob Nichols

Elbert Wells, NRCS Project Leader of the Delaware Estuary Program, and students from the Hartranft Elementary School in Philadelphia, PA, used their seed kits to discuss soil quality in a garden the students built themselves. These type of events were held nationwide to encourage others to become Butterfly Heroes and share how everyone can play a role in helping monarchs and other pollinators.

The Monarch Life Cycle

Photo by Michelle Leicht

Michelle, a Butterfly Hero in Seabring, Florida, captured the incredible metamorphosis of a monarch caterpillar to a butterfly in her garden. The photos show the caterpillar (larva stage), the chrysalis (pupa stage), and the chrysalis during black prior to the butterfly emerging, and the butterfly (adult stage).

Photo by Julia Knox

Julia, a Butterfly Hero in Los Angeles, California, researched local butterflies and planted supplementary host and nectar plants along with the seeds she received in her Butterfly Hero kit. She sent in photos showing two monarch chrysalises and, two days later, an emerging monarch.

The Monarchs’ Amazing Journey

Photos by Tiffany Cabibbo

Photo by Geneveive Steffen

In Longwood, Florida, a boy released a monarch in his front yard garden, while nine other monarchs dry their wings on the pool cage screen. Once monarchs emerge from their chrysalises, it takes 3 to 4 hours for their wings dry and harden. Once their wings dry, they are ready to take flight and start their amazing journey.

Each year, about five generations will be born to continue migrating north from Mexico through North America. It is only the last generation, born in late summer, that will live eight months and migrate back to Mexico to start the cycle over again.

The monarch at right, in Miami Springs, Florida, may be preparing for a long journey to Mexico. Monarchs cannot tolerate the cold northern winters, so they migrate south to their overwintering site in Mexico. Some generations of monarchs travel up to 3,000 miles to reach their winter home. Eastern populations of monarchs roost in oyamel fir forests in the same 11 to 12 mountain areas in the States of Mexico and Michoacan from October to late March. The forests provide the ideal temperature and humidity for the monarchs to roost over the winter.

Nectar for Butterflies

Photo by Thanna Vickerman

A toddler in Los Angeles, California watches as a new monarch feeds on nectar in the family butterfly garden. In addition to providing monarchs with the host milkweed plants, it is important to provide them with a variety of nectar flowers to provide energy through their breeding season and migrations.

Photo by Amy Shea

Butterflies other than monarchs are also attracted to milkweed for its nectar. In Kissimmee, Florida a little girl kisses a Gulf Fritillary Butterfly as it feeds on nectar.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Butterfly Heroes was made possible by generous support from the Walt Disney World Conservation Fund and Botanical Interests seed company.

Due to tremendous requests for larger collections of seed, Botanical Interests worked with the National Wildlife Federation to provide regional milkweed and nectar-providing seed mixes that are available for purchase through the NWF Garden for Wildlife Gift Guide.

Each collection (suited to a specific geographic region) provides enough seed for a 100 square feet butterfly and pollinator garden.

Children enjoy their free play outdoors on this hill feature. Photo: Loraine Bond

The kids at The Parenting Place have gone over the hill. And under it. Constructed last summer by volunteers, a tunnel and slide built into a hill in the backyard of the Missoula, Montana establishment has become one of the most popular outdoor features among the nonprofit’s young patrons.

“I like the tunnel because it’s easier to hide when we’re playing hide and seek,” said Konstanze, 8.

This new addition to the outdoor playscape is just one way the Parenting Place is actively engaging kids and families with the outdoors. A prominent garden in the front of the establishment offers further opportunities to connect with nature.

The Parenting Place provides child abuse prevention services to families through parenting classes and respite care. An important piece of this mission is the understanding that healthy living is just as important as nonviolent parenting.

Children at The Parenting Place in Montana enjoy finding wildlife and food in this garden. Photo: Loraine Bond

The garden aids in these healthy living efforts. Kids also have the chance to pick their own food which serves as an incredible experience for them.

“It has an impact on the kids. They know about vegetables now. They know that they grow and that you can eat them raw,” said Program Director Loraine Bond. “It has an impact on the family when we can educate them about where their food comes from. When we have excess we send it home with the families. So, we’re feeding kids, and we’re feeding their families.”

The garden also attracts and supports birds, pollinators, and other wildlife as one of Missoula’s Certified Wildlife Habitats® in the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife program. In doing so, it helps kids learn about different native plants and the wildlife that they support.

Access to the garden has fostered a new love for wildlife and a sense of stewardship within the children at The Parenting Place.

“They went from finding insects and stomping on them to rescuing them,” said Bond.

Photo: Loraine Bond

When asked what her favorite thing about the garden was, 10-year-old Alexia was eager to share. “It grows food and saves animals,” she said. “It helps insects like this bee.”

“Insects love The Parenting Place,” she added.

Bond’s next project for The Parenting Place is adding fruit trees inside their yard as well as a waterwise native plant garden. Both features will add to the already bountiful educational and healthy living opportunities provided to the community. Until then, the garden in the front, butterfly garden in the back, and the tunnel in the hill seem to be more than enough to keep the kids fully engaged with wildlife.

In one such instance of exploration during my visit, Konstanze inquired, “What’s this?” while inspecting a plant.

About the Author: Juliet Slutzker is an AmeriCorps member serving with the National Wildlife Federation in their Missoula, MT office as the Sustainability and Habitat Educator. She is working on expanding the Eco-Schools USA program in Montana as well as certifying Missoula as Montana’s first Community Wildlife Habitat. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and earned a Master’s degree in Biology in 2015 from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. In her free time, Juliet enjoys exploring the outdoors in her new home of Montana!

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/10/missoula-garden-fosters-healthy-living-for-kids-and-wildlife/feed/0High Stakes in Declining Monarch Butterfly Populationshttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/02/high-stakes-in-declining-monarch-butterfly-populations/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/02/high-stakes-in-declining-monarch-butterfly-populations/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 20:08:38 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=104096As a child, I loved to spend my time chasing the majestic monarch butterfliesas they danced around the woods and garden on my parents’ small farm in rural Georgia. Now when I spot the distinctive wings that flutter so swiftly and graciously, I pause to take in the moment, as I know the perils that face these exquisite creatures.

On Monday the National Wildlife Federation signed an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as a new funding initiative was announced with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as well as pledging $2 million in immediate funding for on-the-ground projects to conserve monarch populations around the country. Read more on NWF’s initiative.

If we can provide monarchs with healthy and sustainable habitats such as gardens, grasslands and forests, then perhaps we can provide generations to come the chance to know and appreciate this iconic species. According to biologist, Bill Finch, milkweed is able to bloom in Gulf Coastal longleaf ecosystems at the most opportune time during the spring, as monarchs are migrating from Mexico to North America and stop in the piney woods of the Gulf Coast to lay eggs on the milkweed during the spring. In late spring, the caterpillars morph into butterflies, and then fly north to repopulate in the eastern part of the country.

As a staff member at NWF, it is an exciting time to be a part of an organization that is taking such timely and aggressive steps to protect this beautiful species that means so much to me. NWF understands what needs to be done by addressing habitat restoration first and foremost to conserve and protect these and other important pollinator species. When the warmth of spring arrives in the coming months, I will bring milkweed seeds to add to our family’s garden. This is my token of hope and affirmation for the species that we humans so depend on, because now it appears, their survival will depend on us.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/02/high-stakes-in-declining-monarch-butterfly-populations/feed/3Tips for Winter Bird Feedinghttp://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/tips-for-winter-bird-feeding/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/tips-for-winter-bird-feeding/#commentsWed, 07 Jan 2015 18:24:47 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=102831As temperatures drop across much of the country, it’s time to put more thought into what your backyard birds are eating. Providing high-quality food during winter not only entices more birds to visit your yard, it also may help them survive the season.

“Bad weather like blizzards and ice storms can make it hard to find food, and cold can take its toll,” says Sally Roth, author of The Backyard Bird Feeder’s Bible. “A well-fed bird is a warmer bird, better able to withstand winter rigors.” Roth recommends providing “a big spread of visible food and a variety to suit all appetites”—including seeds, cracked corn, nuts and suet—to bring in the first visitors. “After birds find your feeders, their presence and activity will attract others,” she says.

Winter also is the time to switch to more appropriate cold-weather foods. Birds need rich sources of fat and calories to combat low temperatures and severe storms. Suet, nuts and high-oil seeds such as nyjer, black-oil sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts are all great choices. “If you can find a way to keep squirrels away from them, mixed nuts are like crack for birds,” says Sharon Stiteler, founder of Birdchick.com and author of 1001 Secrets Every Birder Should Know. “They love the stuff, even more than black-oil sunflower seeds.”

Even in cold weather, you should clean feeders regularly to prevent the buildup of bacteria that can cause disease. “Dirty bird feeders, especially during a warm spell when the snow melts, are breeding grounds for disease and could wipe out a whole flock of pine siskins,” Stiteler says. “It’s very important to keep a feeding station clean and to remove old seed that has been getting wet on the ground.” If possible, rotate feeders so dirty ones can be brought inside for cleaning without reducing available food. Make cleaning and refilling feeders more convenient by keeping a path to them clear, even after heavy snowstorms, or relocate your feeding station to a sheltered deck or patio that won’t be used in winter.

Don’t forget bird food that nature provides. “Feeders should be seen as supplements to the natural foods you provide by cultivating native plants,” says NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski. Even during winter, seed-eating birds such as goldfinches and juncos will flock to the dried flower heads of aster, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, sunflowers and other plants. These wildflowers’ stalks also may house insects for birds that need a little protein.

Make sure to leave berries and other fruit on your native trees and bushes. Birds ranging from robins, cardinals, juncos, waxwings and mockingbirds to wild turkey and grouse will feast on these fruits throughout the cold months. And if you’ve been smart enough to leave your fallen leaves on the ground since autumn, the decaying leaf litterwill provide a feast of insects, seeds, nuts and other treats for your backyard birds.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/tips-for-winter-bird-feeding/feed/31Don’t Forget Water for Birds in the Winter!http://blog.nwf.org/2014/12/dont-forget-water-for-birds-in-winter/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/12/dont-forget-water-for-birds-in-winter/#commentsWed, 03 Dec 2014 15:00:04 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=102167Throughout the hot summer months, backyard birders like me faithfully supply all the fresh water our feathered friends need for drinking, bathing or simply cooling off. By this time of year, however, most of us have covered up or put away our birdbaths, fountains and other water features, assuming that birds won’t need them until next spring. But that’s not true, experts say.

“For birds and other wildlife, water is just as important in the cold months as it is during summer,” says NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski. “If there’s no snow in your area, there is literally no water, which means birds can be in trouble.”

An American robin visits a heated birdbath during a snowstorm in Smithtown, New York. Photo donated by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Elaine Davis.

Even in places with abundant snow and ice, it costs birds precious calories and body heat to melt frozen water. Backyards that provide fresh, clean, liquid water during winter tend to host more avian visitors than do frozen yards. In winter, “water is as big an attraction as feeders,” says Sally Roth, author of The Backyard Bird Feeder’s Bible.

Here are some tips for easily—and safely—providing water for wildlife during the cold months:

Before the cold sets in, replace delicate solar or fountain birdbaths with sturdier, winter-ready water features. Because ice can cause cracks and leaks, concrete baths should be stored or covered in winter.

Place baths in a sunny area to make them more visible to birds and to help keep the water liquid.

While birds are unlikely to submerge themselves in very cold weather, you can help them stay dry and drink more easily by adding several stones to the bath or placing a few sticks on top that the animals can use as perches.

Even during winter, birdbaths (as well as feeders) should be cleaned regularly.

To keep water from freezing, consider adding an immersion-style water heater. More recent models will turn off if the water in the bath dries up.

A group of eastern bluebirds gathers at a birdbath on a snowy day in Burlington, North Carolina. Photo donated by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant John Kinney.

If using a heater, add a ground-fault interrupted circuit (available at hardware stores) to prevent electric shorts. Check that cords and outlets are sheltered from snow or ice buildup.

As a homemade alternative to a heater, place a light bulb in a flower pot and put a small water basin on top of the pot.

A simpler option—particularly if you have no outdoor electric outlet—is to buy several heavy-duty plant saucers that will not be cracked by ice and replace frozen baths with fresh ones each morning.

Avoid adding glycerin to a birdbath as antifreeze; if birds ingest too much, it can dangerously elevate their blood-sugar levels. Glycerin solutions also may mat birds feathers, decreasing insulation at a time when the animals need it most.

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/12/dont-forget-water-for-birds-in-winter/feed/6How to Recycle Halloween Pumpkins for Wildlifehttp://blog.nwf.org/2014/10/how-to-recycle-halloween-pumpkins-for-wildlife/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/10/how-to-recycle-halloween-pumpkins-for-wildlife/#commentsThu, 30 Oct 2014 21:49:40 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=101033One of my favorite parts of Halloween, is carving pumpkins. My evening walks through the neighborhood are even better with the bright orange pumpkins, highlighting the colors of autumn, and showing off creative designs.

After the trick-or-treaters clear away, and Halloween is officially over, don’t trash your pumpkins! There are several ways to recycle them with wildlife and your garden in mind. How do you reuse pumpkins in your yard?

1. Compost Your Pumpkins

If you’ve carved a jack-o-lantern, it may already be decomposing. Pumpkins are 90% water, which means they easily and quickly break down. This makes them a great addition to your compost pile. Prevent unwanted pumpkin plants by removing the seeds first (set seeds aside for #3 and #5). If you don’t have a compost bin or pile, check your local government, nearby farms, or community gardens to see if they collect old pumpkins.

Pumpkins can make a great addition to compost bins or piles. Photo by Karl Steel.

3. Leave Seeds for Wildlife

Large birds and small mammals will eat pumpkin seeds if you offer them in your yard. Collect seeds from your pumpkins, before composting them, and let the seeds dry. Please don’t add salt or seasoning. Place seeds on a flat surface, tray, shallow bowl, or mix in with existing bird seed in your garden.

Garden for Wildlife All Year

UPDATE: Please keep in mind this applies to non-painted pumpkins, as the toxins in paint can be harmful to wildlife. Also, keep pumpkins away from the house, ideally near trees. Add other helpful suggestions in the comments below!

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/10/how-to-recycle-halloween-pumpkins-for-wildlife/feed/28Threatened Gopher Tortoises Benefit from Florida Community Wildlife Habitathttp://blog.nwf.org/2014/07/threatened-gopher-tortoises-benefit-from-florida-community-wildlife-habitat/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/07/threatened-gopher-tortoises-benefit-from-florida-community-wildlife-habitat/#commentsTue, 22 Jul 2014 16:20:32 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=98601Our amazing Garden for Wildlife volunteers in Oakland Park, FL are making a difference for the threatened gopher tortoise. The city, which is located in Broward County and is smack dab in the middle of the Miami metropolitan area, is working to become certified by National Wildlife Federation as a Community Wildlife Habitat™. So far, the core team of volunteer leaders has activated the citizens of Oakland Park to:

Create and certify more than 150 wildlife habitats and gardens at schools, homes and businesses;

Educate community members, especially children and youth, through National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitats program; and

Engage in volunteer restoration projects to better understand why wildlife, nature and the environment are important for our health and well-being.

As part of this effort, something special is also happening for tortoises.

Oakland Park Making Room for Gopher Tortoises

Charlie Livio, the NWF Community Wildlife Habitat Team Leader for the city, pitched an idea to the City Council that Oakland Park should become the first site to participate in Florida’s Waif Tortoise Adoption Program. (A “waif” gopher tortoise is one that has been removed from the wild.)

The City Council approved of the idea, and in 2011, they adopted four gopher tortoises located at the Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve (including this one, pictured here snacking on fruits and veggies):

Gopher tortoises are a keystone species that have roamed planet Earth for somewhere between 500,000 and 2 million years. However, due to habitat loss and other threats, they are listed as a federally threatened species in Louisiana, Mississippi and part of Alabama. The State of Florida considers them threatened as well.

Creating Habitat at Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve

Charlie (who also happens to be the city horticulturist and vice president of the city’s Garden Club) knew the Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve was great potential habitat for gopher tortoises. The 5.6-acre remnant sand pine scrub has high, rapidly draining and acidic sands, and is home to more than 75 plant species, including the American Beautyberry, pictured here:

However, due to a lack of natural wildfires and other processes, the preserve is at risk of going through “succession” and becoming a scrub oak hammock. To keep the sand pine scrub in a healthy state for its unique flora and fauna, staff at the preserve organize an annual volunteer habitat restoration and cleanup.

Adding to the Family

After their work improving the habitat in the preserve, the city was approved to adopt two male gopher tortoises in September of 2013. Just a few months later in December, a hatching was reported and seen at the preserve.

Last week, Charlie let us know that he saw a potential new juvenile gopher tortoise burrow (pictured below) on the Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve property—evidence that the tortoises are successfully breeding at the site!

We’re very excited to hear further updates from Charlie and the City of Oakland Park’s Community Wildlife Habitat team. Their work in the Lakeside Sand Pine Preserve and throughout the city has them well on their way to achieving certified Community Wildlife Habitat status.